Display-fixture.



H. v. LOUGH.

DISPLAY FIXTURE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, 1916.

1,251,255. Patented De0.'25,1917.

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5 vwawfoz $51 d/(lflozwz 1 3 Z; I M? H. V. LOUGH.

DISPLAY FIXTURE.

1,251,255. APPLICATION FILED DEC.15. I916. Patented Dec 25,

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DISPLAY FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.I5, 1916. 1,251,255. Patented Dec. 25,1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

5 l wewtoz onrrnn snares earner op n on- HECTOR V. LO'UGH, OF NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL FIXTURE CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DISPLAY-FIXTURE.

r Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

Application filed December 15, 1916. Serial No. 137,219. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hncron V. LoUorI, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of North Plainfield, county of Somerset, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in display fixtures, and more particularly to that type of display fixture designed to be placed upon show-cases, counters and the like, to exhibit merchandise.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a display fixture of the type set forth adapted to be folded into a compact and flat package for storing and shipping purposes.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a swinging-panel display fixture having a light and rigid support for the panels adapted to fold flat when the panels are removed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the display fixture;

Fig. 2 a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 a top plan view of the panel supporting frame in folded position;

Fig. 4 a front elevation of the supporting frame in folded position;

Fig. 5 a detail view of a portion of the supporting frame Fig. 6 a detail view showing a side elevation of one of the folding wings of the support, aportion of the supporting frame and one of the panels being shown partly in section;

Fig. 7 a detail view of the upper portion of one of the panels, with the top member thereof removed to permit the insertion of display cards; and

Fig. 8 a detail plan view of a portion of one of the panels with the top channel member removed.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, the fixture comprises a panel-supporting frame consisting of vertical, tubular side members 1, connectedjto an upper tubular member 2 and a lower tubular member 3. The horizontal members 2 and 3 are rigidly connected to the vertical members 1, preferably by being welded thereto.

A pair-of supporting wings are pivotally connected with the panel supporting frame.

These wings are substantially triangular in shape,'and each is formed of a single metal rod. Each wing consists of a vertical portion 4 passing downwardly through the tubular member 1 of the panel-stqaporting frame and freely rotatable therein,the lower end of the portion 4 being welded to the horizontal portion 5 of the wing, at 6. The portions 4 and 5 of the wing are connected by the inclined portion 7. The inclined portion 7 is bent laterally near its upper end, as shown at 8 in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, fora purpose hereinafter described. At their rear ends the portions 5 of the wings pass benea h and to the rear of the lower cross member 3 of the panel-supporting frame, and are provided with upwardly projecting portions 9. These upward extensions 9 are adapted to engage the member 3 to limit the outward movement of the hinged supporting wings, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Y

A plurality of'removable panels are pivotally mounted in the supporting frame.

Each panel embodies a U-shaped frame consisting of two verticalmetal rods 10 connected at points a short distance above their lower ends, by a horizontal rod 11.. The

abutting ends of the rods are welded together. Embracing the rods 10 and 11 and welded thereto is a U-shaped card-holding frame 12 formed of light channel iron, or sheet metal bent to channel form. The rods 10 are connected by a flat metal spacing bar 13, at points a short distance below their upper ends. The ends of the bar 13 are welded to the bars 10. The card-holding frame thus formed has a removable top channel member 14, the depending walls of which are adapted to frictionally engage the outer faces of the side walls of the frame 12. The member 14 is preferably notched at 15, so that the member 14 may pass down between the projecting ends of the rods 10 and completely close the upper end of the frame. The lower channel member 12 is also similarly notched so as to completely close the lower end of the frame. 1

The removable upper channel members 14 of alternate panels in the fixture are preferably provided with panel-spacing devices 15. These spacing devices consist of a metal rod extending transversely of the members 14 and rigidly connected'thereto,

preferably by welding at the point of intersection. T he ends of the rod are bent downwardly, and the down-turned ends are preferably covered by sections of rubber tubing 16, or other suitable cushioning material.

To mount a panel in the supporting frame, the upper projecting end of one of the rods 10 is passed upwardly through one of a series of apertures 17 in the under side of the member 2, and the frame then lowered to insert the lower projecting end of the rod 10 in a corresponding aperture 18 in the member 3. The member 3 preferably has a filling member 19 confined therein as shown in Figs. 4 and 7. This filling member 19 forms a step bearing for the lower ends of the rods 10, and avoids the necessity of having long projecting ends or pivots on the rods 10.

In the operation of the device the top channel members of the panels are removed and display cards slid into the frame 12 at each side of the spacing bar 13, and the member 14 is then replaced. The fixture is placed upon the top of a counter, show case or the like, or upon the floor, with the triangular supports or wings swung outwardly and the stops 9 in contact with the member 3. The panels are pivotally mounted in the frame as heretofore described, and may be swung back and forth like the leaves of a book. The spacers 15 prevent the panels from coming in contact with each other and thus serve to prevent injury to articles displaved on the cards.

To knock down and fold the fixture for storing or shipping purposes, the panels are removed from the fixtures and stacked. The triangular supports are then folded inwardly upon the central panel-supporting frame, on over the other, as shown in Figs. 3 and i. The rods forming the wings are sufficiently flexible to permit the lower bers 5 to be sprung one over the other, as shown in Fig. 4, and the members 7 of the wings are bent laterally, as shown at 8 in Figs. 1 and 3. This enables the wings to be folded flatly upon the central frame, the bent portions of the members 7 passing around the member 2 and the interlocked members 5 passing under the member 3. The stacked panels may then be laid upon the folded support. a

From the foregoing it will be seen that a light and strong display fixture of the swinging-panel type has been provided. It will be observed that the panels may be readily removed and the panel support folded into a very compact form and the knocked-down fixture conveniently packed for shipment. This arrangement whereby the fixture may be packed in the manner described, is an important feature of the invention. Liability of injury to the parts is thus reduced to. a, minimum. It will be seen that the supporting wings are adapted to be folded substantially within the plane of the panel-holding frame.

What I claim is:

1. A support for swinging display panels comprising a panel-holding frame consisting of upper and lower horizontally disposed members provided with vertically alined bearings to receive the pivot pins of swinging display panels and tubular side members rigidly connected with said horizontal members, and a pair of supporting brackets pivotally connected to said frame and adapted to fold inwardly thereupon, each of said brackets comprising a rod having a horizontal lower portion, an inclined portion extending from the outer end of said horizontal portion to a point above the upper end of the tubular side member, and a vertical portion connecting the inclined and horizontal portions and passing through the tubular side member, the meeting ends of the rod being welded together.

2. In a knock-down display fixture, the combination of apanel-holding frame embodying vertical tubular side members and upper and lower horizontal members having vertically alined bearings for the pivots of swinging display panels, a pair of supports for said frame adapted to fold inwardly thereupon, each of said supports consisting of a rod bent to substantially triangular form and having the vertical portion thereof j ournaled in one of the tubular side members, and a plurality of swinging panels pivotally mounted in the hearings in said frame and removable therefrom.

3. In a knock-down display fixture, the combination of a panel-holding frame embodying tubular side members and upper and lower tubular horizontal members, said horizontal members having vertically alined apertures in their adjacent faces, a pair of substantially triangular supports for said frame having horizontal base portions and vertical portions passing through the tubular side members and rotatable therein, said base portions ha ing extensions passing beneath the frame and provided with upturned ends adapted to engage the lower horizontal member to limit the outward movement of the support, and swinging display panels having pivot pins journaled in the apertures in said horizontal frame members.

4. A folding support for display panels comprising a panelh0lding frame having tubular side members and upper and lower horizontal members, and a pair of supports for said frame adapted to fold inwardly upon said frame one upon the other, each of said supports comprising a rod bent to substantially triangular form and having a vertical portion passing through and rotatable in one of the tubular side members, a substantially--horizonta1 base portion, and a diagonal portion connecting the outer end of the base portion with theupper end of the vertical portion, said diagonal portion having a lateral bend adjacent its upper end, said base portions being adapted to be sprung one over the other and swung beneath the lower frame members, whereby said supports are adapted to be folded one upon the other substantially within the plane of the frame.

5. In a knock-down display fixture, the combination of a panel-holding frame embodying tubular side members and upper and lower tubular horizontal members having vertically alined apertures in their adjacent faces, a filling piece partially filling said lower horizontal members and forming a step bearing for the lower pivot pins of display panels mounted in the frame, a plurality of display panels removably mounted in said frame having vertical pivot pins journaled in the apertures in the horizontal members, and a pair of substantially triangular supports for said frame having horizontal base portions and vertical portions passing through the tubular side members and rotatable therein, said base and vertical portions being connected by a diagonal portion.

6. A foldable panel-supporting fixture comprising a panel-holding frame, and a pair of skeleton metallic supporting members pivotally held to said frame adjacent its side edges and foldable inwardly upon one face of the frame in overlapping relation with each other, one of said members having a flexible portion adapted to be sprung over a portion'of the other member to lock the two members in folded position.

7. A foldable support for display panels comprising a panel-holding frame, a pair of supporting members pivotally connected to said frame adjacent its side edges and hav ing laterally off-set portions, whereby said members are adapted to fold inwardly in overlapping relation with each other upon one face of said frame, and means carried by said members adapted to engage said frame to limit the extent to which the supporting members may be swung outwardly from their folded positions.

8. A foldable support for display panels, comprising a panel-holding frame, supportcomprising a panel-holding frame and a pair of skeleton metallic supporting members pivotally held to said frame adjacent the side edges thereof, each of said members having a substantially straight horizontally disposed base portion and a laterally off-set upper portion, said members being slightly yieldable to permit the base portions thereof to be sprung one above the other, whereby said members may be folded inwardly upon one face of said frame in overlapping and interlocked relation.

11. A foldable panel-supporting fixture comprising a panel-holding frame and.a pair of skeleton supporting members pivotally held to said frame, each of said members having a horizontally disposed substantially straight base portion and an up wardly extending laterally off-set portion, and stops carried by said supporting members adapted to engage said frame when the supporting members are swung outwardly to a predetermined point.

12. A foldable panelesupporting fixture comprising a panel-holding frame and a pair of skeleton supporting members pivotally held to said frame adjacent its side edges and foldable inwardly in overlapping relation with each other upon one face of the frame, each of said members being slightly flexible and having a foot portion and a laterally off-set upper portion, whereby the overlapped portions of said members may be interlocked with each other when the fixture is folded.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

HECTOR V. LOUGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of l'atents. Washington, D. 0. 

